OCR Text |
Show W. G ized by an enormous construction boom, mostly in the north of town Fortunately, the old city with its latticed buildings and gardens was left untouched Discover T uebingen hv f Krill l(iJ TUEBINGEN. West Germany The streets are still the same. Cobblestone and narrow, they still snake their way up and down hills, squeezing past d brown-- , rose- - and houses and bursting open into marketplaces. The houses and buildings are still the same. Latticed and they follow the contours of the hills, the tops of the roofs surging up and sinking down, creating a rhythm not unlike that of a poem. And when moonlight showers down on the old city at night, throwing shadows into nooks and crevices and illuminating stone walls and wooden shutters, a surreal world is created It's the same world that held the lives of astronomer Johannes KefTler and philosopher G. W. Friedrich Hegel, both of whom studied in Tuebingen centuries ago. IT'S THE SAME TOWN that echoed with the footsteps of writer Hermann Hesse, who worked as a clerk in a book store here at the end of the 19th century. Tuebingen is the town where poet Friedrich Hoelderlin, retreating in 1807 to live in a round tower that was once a part of the city fortress, spent the last 36 years of his life in madness. Tucked between the arms of the sluggish Nekear and rushing Ammer rivers in Southwest Germany only an hour away from Stuttgart, Tuebingen is often compared to Heidelberg in its beauty and charm. But unlike Heidelberg. Tuebingen does not swell with tourists in the summer. It remains one of Germanys best-kep- t secrets Like Heidelberg, Tuebingens dominating landmark is its castle, which crowns the crest of a hill overlooking the city. First built as a fortress in the middle of the 11th century, the structure was rebuilt along Renaissance lines in the 16th century. Aithough the castle is now used by the towns university for offices, many people still make the pilgrimage to the top of the hill. Guarded by a mighty stone portal, a linden tree, wide, yawning moat and a this stone edifice with its inner courtyards and round towers affords an excellent view of d hills in the Tuebingen below the distance. A childrens playground has been constructed in one of the castles moats. IT WAS AROUND this medieval fortress that the town of Tuebingen was bom By the end of the 12th century, buildings had been erected on hillsides and around the marketplace wherever there was room It was the benevolance of the masters in the castle that allowed a city to grow on these hillsides that tumbled down to the Neckar and Ammer rivers. After all, steep slopes and cliffs weren't exactly ideal spots for the construction of a medieval town nor is it the ideal condition for todays automobile. However, it is exactly this up and down of the streets and alleys and the small footpaths between old houses that gives the city its special charm It was also these steep hillsides that prompted Tuebingens growing spurt in the Middle Ages. Townspeople discovered that the slopes were conducive to growing grapes for wine, and it wasn't long before the hills surrounding Tuebingen were covered with grapevines. When a university was founded in Tuebingen in 1477, the castle, the citys churches, its citizens and wine growers had already determined lifes atmosphere in the city. The university and its students, however, gave the old town vigor and vitality, the spirit of which is prevalent even today. Tuebingen wouldnt be the same without its university, its student activism and the resultant liberal and tolerant attitudes of its citizens. OF THE OLD UNIVERSITY buildings erected in the Middle Ages, several are still in existence, although they have undergone several structural modifications through the years. One of them is the students' detention quarters at 20 Muenzgasse which served to discipline unruly students from 1515 to 1808. The oldest in Germany, its walls and vaulted ceiling were painted with scenes from the Bible in hopes of restoring the souls on the misbehaving students locked behind its doors. Today. Tuebingen is a thriving town of 70,000 inhabitants, 15,000 of whom are students. Having been the first city to open its university after World War II, which Tuebingen survived without much damage, the citys postwar era has been character green-colore- Because much of the inner city is now forbidden to vehicles, the best way to see Tuebingen is by foot, and the best place to start is the bridge spanning the Neckar River This affords one of the most beautiful views in all of Germany WTiite swans swim gracefully in the river while people promenade a narrow tree lined island set squarely in the middle of the Neckar The tower where Hoelderlin spent the last years of his life in madness stands reflected in the water beside a weeping willow Students sit on the stone wall lining the river, basking in the sunshine, and behind them rise the crowded, narrow houses, stacked like a deck of cards all the way to the castle on the top of the hill. TO SAVOR THE VIEW, rent a rowboat and glide past the island, the old city wall and the houses and gardens. On the river you will pass punt boats, gondola-lik- e boats belonging to students, who pole their way down the river Although fairly expensive, shopping in Tuebingen is a real pleasure There are no department stores in the inner city; rather, there are tiny, family owned shops and boutiques that cater to the shoppers every desire. There are wine and cheese shops, umbrella shops, hat and glove stores, import shops and numerous gift shops Step inside one of the many student pubs lining Haagasse or one of the city's coffee shops. Sit at one of the Italian outdoor cafes and enjoy an ice cream concoction. The heart of town life is the marketplace The scene of a fruit, flower and vegetable market three times a week, it is flanked on three sides by tall and narrow colorful buildings and on the fourth side by the city hall. First built in 1435. the city halls facade is decorated with paintings and with an astrological clock from the 1500s. AFTER VISITING THE "upper town" of shops, hilly slopes and the castle, stroll through the "lower town" around Jacobs Church. It was here where the once numerous wine producers lived The homes are tiny, with doors so low that you must stoop to enter The only thing left from this wine era are a couple of inns open only a few months out of the year It is in one of these inns, consisting usually of long, tables and benches, where you can savor wood-hew- n Tuebingen wine The rolling hills surrounding Tuebingen are also excellent for excursions by foot Footpaths lace forests and lead past fruit orchards, small gardens and huts One of the most delightful excursions is the walk to Bebenhausen, one of the medieval monasteries d Germany clear stftams. At any rate, the people of Tuebingen are in love with their city, affectionately calling it the center of the universe. After you see Tuebingen, you'll understand why. I jyfrUjLj: Answer: ANYONE ZIGZAG How the BALLAD POCKET SONATA FUTURE house painter came down arhen he fell off the ladder WITH FLYING Jumble on Page LEISURE TOURS TRAVEL CLUB JOIN NOW & RECEIVE MONTHLY BULLETINS TRAVEL YELLOWSTONE PARK SNOWMOBILE TOUR February 29 3 Days2 Nights Includes: Transportation, COLORS Beth Reiber is a freelance travel writer who resides in Bremen, W Germany. in in 1190 and protected by a wall. Be benhausen is set in the midst of a serene forest, Schoenbuch, which also makes a beautiful setting for a stroll past dark forests, flowering meadows and Founded H-1- 8 2 nights accommodations at West Yollowstono, oil day snowmobile tour on 13 passenger heated snowmobiles from West Yellowstone to Old Faithful and return. $110.00 Per Person Dbl. Occ. DEATH VALLEY & LAS VEGAS 4 Days March 1 5th Includes: Transportation Tour Tonopah, Scotty s tle & Furnace Creek nights at Las Vegas Gift Package Total $95 OO DBL OCC with Cost FRANCISCO RENO-SA- d CasTwo TOUR tree-covere- 6 Days March 20th Includes: Transportation. Tour Reno, Three nights San Francisco for City Tour Wine tasting tour Winchester Mystery House Return via South Shore Lake Tahoe. Total Cost $22000 DBL OCC. SUNNY SOUTHWEST, JUAREZ & ; CARLSBAD The CAVERNS March 24 8 Days 7 Nights Includes: Transportation, accommodations. Tour Page, Ax., Phoenix, Tucson, El Paso, Juarez, Old Mexico, Carlsbad Caverns, Roswell & Durango, Co. Totol cost per person $295 Dbl. Occ. Salt Lake DEEP SOUTH FLORIDA GRAND OLE OPRY Departs April 1 2 20 Nights 21 Days Tour San Antonio, Th Alamo. Houston, Now Or loans w3 night, sightseeing, ToHofco op, Dimsy World, Orlando, Cypress s Tour St. Petersburg, Notional Park snrouts to 3 Miami for nights. Tour Kay West A Miami Travel up through St. August ina A Aocksonvllis to Atlossto. 3 nights Nashville for tear A Orond Oie Opry Opry land also Included. Tour Memphis A Ihrls Presley Oroceiand Estate. Return thru Oklahoma City. Hayes A Idehs Spring. Totol cost Including tronsgertetls n, oc.snv A sightseeing $7 IS AGENTS FOR AMTRAK RESERVATIONS & TICKETS Writer Hermann Hesse ivorked as a clerk in a bookstore in the town of Tuebingen, West Germany. In this photo, taken by Beth Reiber, one can see an astrological clock from the 1500s. It stands in the marketplace, the heart of the town 10, W. F. JOHNSON TRAVEL AGENCY Howard Johnson Hotel Suite 101 122 W S Temple Phone 363 7922 laha City. Utah 84101 Lin 1980 II Ift J |